Kamal fans want Vishwaroopam ban lifted

GEORGE TOWN: A small group of Kamal Haasan fans held a peaceful demonstration here today calling on the Barisan Nasional government to lift the ban on the Indian movie Vishwaroopam.
Calling themselves the Penang Kamal Haasan Fans Club, they held a 20-minute protest outside the Veenai Odeon cinema hall .

The club president S Mahendran said the ban was against freedom of artistic expression.

He pointed out the Home Ministry was inconsistent in protecting religious sensitivities of various communities in the country as it did not ban Love Guru, which hurt Hindu sentiments, and The Da Vinci Code, which allegedly questioned the fundamental myth of Christianity.

It was banned in Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore after first day screening on Jan 24 on grounds of “Muslim religious sensitivities.”Singapore however, has since lifted its ban.

Mahendran alleged that Kamal Haasan had been victim of a political conspiracy for allegedly not selling the television rights for Vishwaroopam to a television station linked to a powerful politician in Tamil Nadu.

He said the ministry ban based on petitions submitted by two Muslim groups was unacceptable after the censorship had approved its screening.

“Will the minister ban Umno if we submit a memorandum alleging that the party was racist?” he said.

Mahendran said those were fortunate to watch the movie on the first day it was shown have insisted that the movie illustrated the reality of international terrorism and its operations.
PKR state vice-chairman and Batu Uban assemblyman S Raveentharan, who took part in the protest, said it was illogical for the Home Ministry to ban the movie when it has been publicly available via internet and pirated disc.

Moreover, he pointed many Tamil movie fans from Malaysia were crossing the Johor Causeway to watch the movie in Singapore.



Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/02/02/kamal-fans-want-vishwaroopam-ban-lifted/